Media firm distributes sanitisers, soaps to Garki village residents

A Media Firm, Multimedia Professionals (MMP)on Saturday distributed large quantities of sanitizers, hand gloves and soaps to residents of Garki village, Abuja to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Mr Solomon Soja, Chief Executive Officer of the media firm, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the exercise was a way of giving back to the society, especially in a period like this.

He decried the attitude of some owners of pharmaceutical stores in the country who hoard the preventive materials from the reach of Nigerians.

According to him, they considered it as an opportunity to cash out on the masses within a short period of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

He said that the pharmaceutical business since the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria had become a money doubling scheme.

“How do we explain the outrageous prices of sanitizers and hand gloves in the face of the pandemic? How justifiable is this increase?

“A bottle, which sells for between N1,200 and N2,500 is now being sold for N4,500. Why do we derive joy in making gains from pains,’’ he asked.

He called on Nigerians to stick to precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“We must ensure that we stick to precautionary measures as directed by the Federal Government to curb the spread of the disease and subsequently eradicate it,” he said.

Soja appealed to Nigerians to be patient and exhibit high sense of understanding and support government’s efforts toward containing the spread of the virus.

“I want to use this medium to tell people that coronavirus is real because some people are deceiving us, telling us all sort of lies that the disease is not real. We need to appreciate what government is doing at all levels,” he said.

He advised the media to be responsible and ethical, as journalism was vital to the reporting of Covid-19.

He urged journalists to avoid sensationalism and scaremongering in language and images that could heighten anxiety.

Soja said that journalists should be accurate and report facts, adding that they should avoid rumour and speculation.

“There’s a huge amount of misinformation circling, so be aware of how to spot and debunk misinformation.

“Stay physically safe, as journalists, it’s your job to get the story but this should not be at the expense of your health.

“With COVID-19, the situation is changing so rapidly that journalists and news organisations must keep up to date with the advice of their relevant governments and authorities,” he said.

He said that journalists should be aware of their own health and if they experience any symptoms of the virus, they should inform their employers. (NAN)